A fleet of drones patrolling New York City beaches for signs of sharks and struggling swimmers is sparking a backlash from an aggressive group of beach dwellers: local shorebirds.
Since the drones began flying in May, flocks of birds have repeatedly attacked the aircraft, forcing the police department and other city agencies to adjust their flight plans. While the attacks have slowed, they have not stopped altogether, raising concerns among wildlife experts about the impact on endangered species that nest along the coast.
The birds were “very upset by the drones” from the moment they came ashore, said Veronica Welsh, wildlife coordinator for the parks department.
“They’ll fly at it, they’ll swoop down, they’ll make loud noises,” Welch said. “They think they’re defending their young from a predator.”
No birds were harmed, but officials say there have been several near misses. The drones, which come equipped with inflatable life rafts that can be dropped on distressed swimmers, have not yet carried out any rescues. observer The first shark on Thursday, closing most of the beach.
City officials said the “stampedes” were primarily caused by American oystercatchers. These shorebirds, known for their striking orange beaks, lay their eggs on the sand at Rockaway Beach this time of year. While their numbers have improved in recent decades, Federal authorities This species is considered “of significant conservation concern”.
Birds may eventually get used to the devices, which can be more than three feet (about a meter) long and make a loud hissing noise as they fly, said David Bird, a professor of wildlife biology at McGill University.
But he was quick to raise a more dangerous possibility: that the drones might trigger a stress response in some birds that causes them to flee the beach and abandon their eggs, as several thousand elegant seagulls subsequently did. Recent drone crash In San Diego.
“We don’t know much about the distance needed to protect the birds, but we do know that there are birds on this beach that are very vulnerable. If they abandon their nests because of drones, it would be a disaster,” he said.
On Rockaway Beach, a popular summer destination for New Yorkers, American oystercatchers share their habitat with several species of water gulls, as well as the small sandpiper, the city’s only endangered species. Local officials keep a close eye on the plovers each summer, barring beachgoers—and drones—from the sandy stretches where they primarily nest.
After the city’s emergency management department flagged the coastal conflict last month, drone operators, who largely work with the police and fire departments, agreed to fly the devices away from oyster nesting areas.
“We’ve been notified that there’s a nest here and there and there are angry parents who don’t want you anywhere near their eggs or their babies,” said Natalie Grybauskas, the agency’s assistant commissioner.
Since then, agencies have begun holding briefings on the issue, a departure from their usual practice of dealing with disasters such as fires and building collapses.
“It’s rare that you have to learn about the life cycles of young birds,” Gribauskas said.
But even after the city adjusted its flight range, beachgoers said they saw flocks of birds swarming toward the drones.
New York City isn’t the only city turning to drones to monitor its waters. After a series of shark bites last summer, similar effort The devices were launched by officials on Long Island. They are smaller, quieter and do not contain flotation devices. In recent years, lifeguards in Australia have also used drones to monitor sharks and conduct rescues.
New York City Mayor Eric Adams, a loyal man Drone enthusiastThe city has described the new drone program as a “great addition to saving the lives we lose during the summer,” especially as the city struggles to hire lifeguards to man its beaches.
Four people have drowned off the city’s beaches this summer, matching the total number of swimming deaths last year.
After two teenagers went missing while swimming off a beach near Rockaway, the New York Police Department announced Her drones flew As part of the search mission, the two bodies were eventually recovered on the beach.
The Fire Department also has drones. Shots taken Lifeguards help swimmers at Rockaway Beach as they try to beat the tide.
Christopher Allieri, founder of the New York City Plover Project, a bird conservation group, praised the city for taking an innovative approach to water safety, but said extra precautions were needed to ensure drones didn’t harm shorebirds.
“New York’s wildlife is often an afterthought,” he said. “We have to ask ourselves how we can use this technology in a way that works for all New Yorkers, including those with feathers.”